1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to controlling the operating temperature of electronic components.
2. Description of the Background Art
As device sizes continue to shrink into the submicron region, packing densities have increased dramatically. One consequence of this heightened density is that the thermal energy generated by the operation of semiconducting devices is a significant factor that must be considered in designing an integrated circuit. Absent some form of heat management, heat from device operation would accumulate and degrade device performance or result in device failure. For example, conventionally, in order to prevent breakage and operational failure of a central processing unit (CPU), the CPU is typically cooled using a forced-air cooling fan and a heat sink.
While such cooling and heat dissipation mechanisms are important for typical applications of integrated circuits, they are insufficient for certain applications where cooling and heat dissipation alone cannot provide proper temperature control.